Off-Guard
by Athle
Summary: One day. One moment. Is it possible for two people to realize their feelings for each other around the same time? Kinda-sequel to "Boys Can't Be Cute".
1. A Smile

**Author's Notes:** First of all, let me say that I was overwhelmed with the response I got for "Boys Can't Be Cute". I didn't expect to get that many reviews and favorites for it. But anyway, thank you very much to everyone who read and enjoyed it! :) I got a lot of requests asking for a sequel for it. Honestly, I've been wanting to write one as well, but I haven't really had the time, even for my other story that's still ongoing. Still, I felt like I still had to do something, especially since it's the holidays. And this was the result. Haha. It's not much, really, especially since it's short (for me) and it was kinda rushed 'cause I wanted to make it in time for New Year. I still hope you guys enjoy it though. :)

Oh, and it's not really necessary for you to read the other story to understand this one. But I would love it if you read that one too. ;)

Warnings: Short, fluff (I think), and OOC-ness (I think).

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ookiku Furikabutte_/_Oofuri_/Big Windup and its characters in any way.

* * *

**Chapter One: A Smile**

It was New Year's Eve. Here and there were families going into brightly-lit shops, doing some last-minute gift shopping. There were also some couples walking around, huddled close together for warmth as the gentle, falling snow accompanied the bustling scene of New Year's Eve in the city.

This was the scene Abe currently found himself in.

"A-Abe-kun.." came a timid voice not far behind him, reminding him that he wasn't alone.

He turned to look at his companion, who appeared to be a girl just a little shorter than him. She looked all bundled up in her thick white jacket, gloves, leggings, and boots, but her face said otherwise; the tip of her nose was turning pink at the cold and her breath could be seen every time she so much as exhaled.

Abe didn't fail to notice these things, which worried him. '_But he's a guy,_' he also reminded himself.

Yes, once again, the catcher found himself with his currently-cross dressing pitcher. Honestly, he didn't understand why Mihashi did..this. But then again, he _did_ say he wasn't going to judge the other boy, so he was going to stay true to his word. Still, he found it a little disconcerting (and worrying) that Mihashi could easily pass off as a female despite wearing an outfit that could be worn by either sex. '_Wigs can do wonders, I guess,_' Abe thought.

He also vaguely remembered making a promise to accompany the other boy the following time he found himself without a companion.

So now, here they were.

Abe was too wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice his name being called once more by the same person until he felt a slight tug at his jacket. To this, he looked again and asked, "Yeah? What's wrong?"

"I-It's okay now.. W-We can go back.." Mihashi said, looking at the ground.

"Are you sure? I thought you wanted to look at the shops?"

"Y-Yeah.. B-But.." Mihashi lowered his gaze even further, as if he wanted to hide himself, and said something else under his breath that Abe couldn't quite catch.

"But what?" he pressed, trying to get the other boy to repeat what he said, only this time hopefully it was loud enough for actual human ears to hear.

Unfortunately, Mihashi seemed convinced that what he said was better off unheard because he merely shook his head despite Abe's attempts of getting whatever it was out of him. Eventually, the catcher gave up. '_If he doesn't want to, then so be it,_' he thought and sighed.

He looked at Mihashi once again, and was it just him or was the other boy shivering a little? And he could have sworn that earlier, it was only the tip of Mihashi's nose that was turning pink; now even his cheeks looked flushed. Plus, it seemed like he was about to pass out any moment now.

"Are you okay?" Abe asked, now beginning to really worry, and put both hands on Mihashi's shoulders.

Before the other boy could reply, however, Abe began removing his own scarf and placed it around Mihashi's neck. "If you've been feeling cold, say something, you idiot!" he exclaimed, making the timid boy flinch in surprise.

"I..I'm sorr-"

"Don't even say you're sorry," Abe interrupted Mihashi's near-tears apology. He continued in a somewhat gentler tone, "Just.. Tell me whenever you're not feeling good, or if anything's wrong, alright?" They were supposed to trust each other after all.

'_Plus, I don't want him not feeling well and then it'll be too late to do anything about it if it happens in the middle of a game, or something,_' Abe justified. He was a little proud that he came up with a reason (read: excuse) for his sudden - simply put - sappiness.

"O-Okay.." was all Mihashi replied, his gaze still lowered and his hands folded in front of him.

"Here," Abe said, looking away but offering his hand. As if to answer the unspoken question (that no doubt was currently running through Mihashi's mind), he continued, "You said we can go back, so let's go back. But first.. I don't want your hands to get cold."

The few seconds that ticked by seemed like forever to the brunette. Abe wasn't sure how his offer was going to be received. Honestly, he thought it sounded stupid. But whatever, he might as well withdraw his hand before it became one of those "awkward moments".

However, before he managed to do so, Mihashi _did _grab his hand, and he had to do a double-take just to make sure. He also kinda wanted to pinch himself, but that would look weird.

But yes, Mihashi was indeed holding his hand and he was kinda blushing while doing so. Or maybe it was still the cold?

However, the brown-blonde boy managed to catch the brunette off-guard, again. Not because he remained holding on, nor because he said "Thank you".

But because Mihashi smiled. Again. Abe couldn't help but feel a little special that he was on the receiving end of that smile.

He felt a few other things though, things that he couldn't explain. For example, he could feel his face getting warm, a stupid smile making its way on his own face, his heart thumping loudly in his chest, and his stomach doing little flip-flops, among other things.

Yet he tried to simply ignore it, and just focused on now: the two of them walking, hands still clasped together, and a comfortable silence between them. However, they had only been walking for a few minutes when Abe stopped, one thought overwhelming him.

Shoot.

He was falling for his pitcher, wasn't he?

As if wanting to confirm his confused feelings, Abe glanced at the boy in question. And it only took that one look at the still-smiling face for Abe to realize that no, he did not mind falling for this brown-blonde idiot.

He did not mind at all.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Err. Yeah. I wasn't quite sure where to end this, but I felt like that was a pretty good place. Kinda leaves it more open to future ideas. Haha. Yes? No? /sigh

Next up, the same events, only this time from Mihashi's POV.

Please review! Any feedback is greatly appreciated. :) Happy Holidays everyone! ^^


	2. A Gaze

**Author's Notes: **So.. I guess this did end up becoming a twoshot. Hehe. But nothing major, just the events from the previous chapter, only this time from Mihashi's POV.

Warnings: Short, fluff (I think), and OOC-ness (I think).

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ookiku Furikabutte_/_Oofuri_/Big Windup and its characters in any way.

* * *

**Chapter Two: A Gaze**

It was New Year's Eve. Thankfully, the team didn't have practice and was allowed the day-off to spend with family, friends, or whatever it was they wished to do.

'_Go on a date as well?_'

The voice was from Mihashi's head, and the thought made the browne-blonde boy blush and shake his head vehemently.

'_I-It's not a d-date..!_' another voice said defensively.

For a moment, Mihashi stopped. Here he was, talking inside his head. With _two_ voices nonetheless. However, despite the protests of the second voice in his head, the first voice _did_ have a point.

Because why else would he be standing in this cold winter day, waiting for someone? Not to mention he was currently dressed up as a girl. _Again_.

'_M-Maybe this wasn't such a g-good idea..after all.._' he thought worriedly.

He remained standing there for a few minutes before he finally decided that, indeed, this was a mistake.

He had just taken a step, an apology message already typed on his phone for the person he was meeting up with, when a voice spoke right behind him.

"Sorry I'm late! Did you wait long?"

That made Mihashi stop in his tracks, his thumb hovering over the 'Send' button on his phone. He slowly turned to look at the person, half-hoping, half-dreading, it was who he thought it was.

True enough, there was his catcher, Abe, with a slightly apologetic look, which then turned to surprise, confusion, before finally settling on embarrassment.

Mihashi was about to ask why when he remembered what he currently looked like. He felt his cheeks become warm, and it wasn't because of the cold. He also felt the need to explain himself but before he could even find the words, they died on his lips.

Because Abe said, "Well.. Shall we go then?" Mind you, his cheeks were flushed as well, but his eyes were on Mihashi who, for some reason, couldn't say "No", all previous thoughts of canceling this whole arrangement gone out of the window.

* * *

They had been walking around for how long now? Two hours? Three hours? Mihashi had lost track of time because he was enjoying himself. Granted, the two of them had been mostly walking around and popping in and out of shops here and there. Neither of them really bought anything, but it was still fun, in a way. Perhaps the presence of the other boy was a big factor.

In the middle of their trip, the snow started to fall lightly and Mihashi started to feel a little cold. That was when he looked at the people on the streets aside from them. Most of them were families going in and out of some shops like them, only perhaps they were doing some last-minute holiday shopping, unlike them.

That was also when he realized that aside from families, there was another type of people among the crowd: couples. Different kinds even: holding hands, snuggling, arm around the other's waist/shoulder, the lot. They were _everywhere_.

Okay, maybe he was exaggerating just a_ tiny _bit. But seeing a pair of male and female within their vicinity do "couple stuff" made the brown-blonde boy a little self-conscious; currently, he and Abe appeared to be a pair of male and female as well after all.

This made him stop in his tracks again, thinking that maybe now really was time to go home. Abe didn't notice him stop, however, so he called out, "A-Abe-kun.."

This time, said person stopped and turned to look at Mihashi, who tried to find the words he wanted to say.

Would "I feel awkward with all these couples. Let's go," work?_  
_

Hmm. Maybe not..

In the middle of his musings, the brown-blonde boy then noticed the brunette in front of him seemed lost in his own world as well. So this time, he grabbed the other's jacket and tugged at it lightly, which was effective because those dark eyes focused on him now. "Yeah? What's wrong?" Abe asked.

Mihashi couldn't meet the other boy's gaze so he opted for looking at the ground instead when he said, "I-It's okay now.. W-We can go back.."

"Are you sure? I thought you wanted to look at the shops?"

"Y-Yeah.. B-But.."

Was this supposed to be the part where he mentions the couples around them and the awkwardness they brought him?

"But what?" Abe pressed.

Did he just say that out loud? Hoping he didn't, Mihashi shook his head, this time trying to rid himself of that thought before he _does_ say it out loud.

Abe seemed determined to find out what he said though, and the coaxing just made Mihashi uncomfortable. Perhaps sensing this, the brunette eventually stopped pressing for answers, at least that's what Mihashi liked to think.

He didn't know for how long they had stopped walking, but the pitcher was feeling colder as the minutes ticked by. His breath was as white as earlier, but now he couldn't really feel his cheeks and nose. Plus, he felt like he was about to pass out any moment now.

"Are you okay?" Abe asked, looking worried, and put both hands on the other boy's shoulders.

Mihashi attempted to come up with a reply, but all he could think of was how those eyes were focused on him again.

However, what really snapped him out of his daze was the brunette before him wrapping his own scarf around his bare and now-obviously-cold neck. That and said brunette near-shouted, "If you've been feeling cold, say something, you idiot!"

The exclamation made Mihashi flinch in surprise, an apology making its way from his lips, "I..I'm sorr-"

-which was cut off by a slightly harsh, "Don't even say you're sorry."

At this, the brown-blonde boy simply swallowed the rest of what he would have said, along with the tears that were threatening to escape his eyes. Why was Abe..

"Just.. Tell me whenever you're not feeling good, or if anything's wrong, alright?"

..acting like this?

Wait. What?

The sudden gentleness in the brunette's voice caught Mihashi off-guard. "O-Okay.." was all he managed to reply.

He tried to figure out the boy before him, whose cheeks were now flushed as he remained firmly _not_ looking at him, even when he held out a hand. "Here," Abe said.

For a moment, there was a pause, a question hanging in the air, which Abe seemed to sense and then answered, "You said we can go back, so let's go back. But first.. I don't want your hands to get cold."

..oh. _That's_ why.

That's why he called Abe out today. That's why he was having fun. That's why he was glad it was Abe who found him and helped him that night weeks ago, which now seemed forever, really.

Because he liked Abe, for his strictness when it came to practice, even though he would be shouting at all of them most of the time. He also liked him for his kindness and gentleness, which, though he rarely showed, were undeniably there.

And lastly, he liked Abe for that gaze that often landed on him, reflecting the brunette's emotions, which were usually those of worry and concern. It made Mihashi feel important. It made him feel secure. It made him feel..

..wanted. Like he _really_ mattered to someone.

So without another second's hesitation, he grabbed the offered hand, smiled, and said two words that seemed short but held so much meaning for Mihashi at that moment in time.

"Thank you."

* * *

**Author's Note: **And that's a wrap! I hope you guys liked this kinda-fluffy twoshot. Please review! Thank you for reading! :)


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